The Return of Sunday BBQ Shows at Larimer Lounge

Sunday: A day that, especially on a late-May three-day weekend, is made for beer, friends, music and the hope that the deluge of rain will let up for one afternoon.

If you didn't spend your Sunday evening at the Larimer Lounge, surrounded by packs of Denverites, draft beers and the wonderful sounds of six local bands, it definitely wasn't the Sunday it could've been.

The Sunday BBQ series, which Larimer Lounge has been hosting for several years now, is a fantastic way to experience the venue and music in a new light (literally, as there was daylight seeping in the windows for most of it). Some shows at the Larimer Lounge involve packed, sweaty crowds, screaming guitars and PBR tall-boys flying dangerously close to your head. It's a blast and part of the reason the tiny, basement-esque venue is so frequented by music lovers. But sometimes, especially on a Sunday where the sun is showing its face for the first time in weeks and you're still feeling the lingering effects of the morning's hangover, a bombardment of sounds and strangers invading your personal space sounds less than ideal.

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Larimer Lounge gets that, and has responded in kind with the BBQ series. The show started at 4 p.m. and went until well past 9 p.m., so you could wander over post-afternoon nap. The venue was half full throughout, people coming and going, and was the perfect mix of diehard fans cheering at the stage, people chatting at the bar, and groups of friends out back smoking and drinking like they were at a proper backyard party. You could hear everything from the back patio, if you chose to spend an hour or so soaking up the warm sun (like we did), find good drinks and conversation at the front bar or wander back to the stage where the sounds of psychedelic surf sounds of The Savage Blush could wash over you.

Besides providing an atmosphere of chill that makes Denver so wonderful sometimes, there was the added bonus of the first Eye And The Arrow show played in over a year. Featuring Mark Anderson from Paper Bird and a host of other local musicians, this project is thoughtful and catchy, familiar in the best sense possible. It's the perfect soundtrack for an afternoon party.

Of course, the whole purpose of the day was not just to enjoy some music and brews (though that should be more than enough of a reason to visit the Larimer Lounge), it was a tape release for Strawberry Runners.. Strawberry Runners is one of the most interesting bands to rise in the scene as of late, and their experimental pop, which has just enough undertones of that Western sound Colorado bands love to find their way into your heart.

There are three BBQ series in June.

Isa Jones is an editor in Jackson Hole; her writing has appeared all over the Internet and occasionally in print.